14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that ARM’s Cortex A15 architecture is getting ready to deliver yet another blow to Intel’s low-performing Atom. A new Qualcomm ARM CPU has apparently made some waves on the GLBenchmark database.
This new processor is probably going to be called SnapDragon S4 Pro and the company said it is targeted for Windows 8 Tablets.
We know that Windows 8 Tablets will most likely be more expensive than their ARM counterparts and that Microsoft is not really offering anything new with the Windows 8 ARM Edition, as it doesn’t offer support for software written for other Windows platforms such as Windows XP, Vista or Win 7.
Seeing that pricing competitively is not really what Microsoft is looking for with the release of Windows 8 Tablet Edition, hardware manufacturers really want to impress their potential buyers.
DELL is putting Intel’s powerful Clover Trail inside its new Windows 8 tablet like we already reported here.
Nvidia is preparing the new and faster Tegra 3+.
The thing is that Qualcomm’s new mystery CPU is likely based on the Cortex A15 architecture and this will most likely achieve much better battery life than Nvidia’s Tegra 3+ quad core CPU, and it will mop the floor all over again with Intel’s Clover Trail.
The is some speculation on whether this new CPU is the MSM8960 Pro (SnapDragon S4 Pro) or the Quad Core APQ8064.
Both these chips feature Adreno 320 graphics and have comparable clock frequencies.
The Adreno 320 graphics will most likely beat iPad’s very powerful PowerVR GPU and also Intel’s licensed PowerVR GPU inside Clover Trail.
Considering that ARM’s Cortex A15 already moped the floor with Intel Medfield, adding a faster GPU to that dual-core, Cortex A15 is yet another nail in Atom’s coffin.
The benchmark has since been taken off GLBenchmark’s database, but we can tell you that the Qualcomm baby scored around 60 FPS in Egypt standard, which is right in line with the scores Anand managed to get out of Qualcomm’s MSM8960 Pro test platform.
So, the new wonder is most likely a dual-core Cortex A15 with considerably better graphics processing power, as the quad core APQ8064 doesn’t even have an integrated modem. This is a battery disadvantage when it comes to 4G-enabled tablets or powerful smartphones.
Qualcomm’s SnapDragon S4 Pro is slated for a summer launch and the APQ8064 quad-core will likely arrive with Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system.